


A Book of Mando'a and Songs

by Yatenari (SeKaYa)



Series: Mando'a Cruxaide [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series - Karen Traviss
Genre: Drinking Songs, Folk Music, Gen, Historical References, Mandalorian Culture, Mando'a, Meta, Meta Poetry, Nursery Rhyme References, Poems, Poetry, Speeches, Star Wars References, Translation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25922668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeKaYa/pseuds/Yatenari
Summary: A collection of songs, poems, speeches and other (not too long) texts I have translated into Mando'a - with annotations.
Series: Mando'a Cruxaide [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878112
Kudos: 5





	1. Preamble

The following is a list of songs, poetry and poetic texts I have tried to translate into Mando'a. Some are certainly better suited for it than others, some required a bit more work on tweaking things than others, and due to the nature of the matter, there was not exactly a beta reader available. To make my thought process during translation a bit clearer, I have included more than just the Mando'a text.

Each translated text will be presented like this:

Text translated to Mando'a  
a mostly literal translation of the Mando'a version  
the original version of the line/sentence in question (and/or the English version)

Most of the songs should be _singable_ in Mando'a – with the caveat that I do struggle with the Mando'a pronunciation in parts and mostly settled on using a syllable-match. At the bottom of this will be an updated list of songs in the format of "Mando'a Title – Original I based it on (language of that original)". For some of the folk songs, naturally, different versions exist, and often there are versions in different languages available as well. Since I am most familiar with certain German songs, there will probably be an abundance of German based translations.

Should someone have actually something where these might be useful – I'd certainly like a link to the result (and maybe have this referenced for others).

## Content List

### Folk Songs

  * **Bes'laar be Cer'alor** \- _Das Steigerlied_ (German)
  * **Ner Beskad gan' ehn Kale** \- _Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken_ (German)
  * **Sol Jetii kem lo Kurshise** \- _Ein Jäger längs dem Weiher ging_ (German)



  


### Anthems

  * **German'la Bes'laar** \- _National Anthem of Germany_ (German)



  


### Songs by specific interpreters, bands etc.

  * **Te Laar be Roland** \- _Chanson de Roland_ by dArtagnan (German)



  


### Poems

  * **Kaysh meg ni kar'tayli** \- _Der, den ich liebe_ by Bertolt Brecht (German)




	2. Bes'laar be Cer'alor

**Bes'laar be Cer'alor** is a translation of a well-known German miners song that is widely known and popular. It got played at home games of several football clubs and has gotten several remixed versions. The German name of the song is the "Steigerlied" among others, sometimes also referred to by the first line of the text. A version with an English translation of the text can be found here: [Steigerlied](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juTf_Dy2d6w). The version I used for my translation does not include the exact text from the video. I have attempted to provide a (most literal) translation of the _German_ text.

Jat tenn, jat tenn1-1! Cer'alor1-2 olar!  
Good open, good open! Mountain-boss here!  
_Ger:_ Glück auf, Glück auf! Der Steiger kommt!  
_Eng:_ Good luck, good luck! The foreman arrives!  
Bal kaysh gana nau'ul dral o'r haar ca, 1-3  
And he has light bright in the night  
_Ger:_ Und er hat sein helles Licht, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ And he has his bright light, in the night  
Bal kaysh gana nau'ul dral o'r haar ca,  
And he has light bright in the night  
_Ger:_ Und er hat sein helles Licht, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ And he has his bright light, in the night  
jii ru'nau'u, jii ru'nau'u.  
now [pst]light-up, now [pst]light-up.  
_Ger:_ Schon angezündt', schon angezündt'!  
_Eng:_ Already lit, already lit!  


  


Jii ru'nau'u, haa'tayl dralshaa1-4  
Now lit-up, sight prospers  
_Ger:_ Schon angezündt'! Das wirft seinen Schein,  
_Eng:_ Already lit! That throws its shine,  
bal ti'bic, mhi dir'slana1-5 o'r haar ca,  
and with-it, we descent, in the night  
_Ger:_ Und damit so fahren wir, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ And with that we descent, in the night  
bal ti'bic, mhi dir'slana o'r haar ca,  
and with-it, we descent, in the night  
_Ger:_ Und damit so fahren wir, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ And with that we descent, in the night  
lo cerar daab, lo cerar daab.  
into mountain down, into mountain down.  
_Ger:_ ins Bergwerk ein, ins Bergwerk ein.  
_Eng:_ into the mine, into the mine.  


  


Lo cerar daab, vaii cer'ade1-6 cuy  
Into mountain down, where miners are  
_Ger:_ Ins Bergwerk ein, wo die Bergleut' sein,  
_Eng:_ Into the mine, where the miners are  
cer'shuk1-7 mesh'la beskar bal ve'vut o'r haar ca  
mining beautiful beskar and gold, in the night  
_Ger:_ die da graben das Silber und das Gold, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ which there mine the silver and the gold, in the night  
cer'shuk mesh'la beskar bal ve'vut o'r haar ca  
mining beautiful beskar and gold, in the night  
_Ger:_ die da graben das Silber und das Gold, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ which there mine the silver and the gold, in the night  
teh muun choruk, teh muun choruk.  
from hard stone, from hard stone  
_Ger:_ aus Felsgestein, aus Felstgestein.  
_Eng:_ from rock, from rock.  


  


Sol cer'shuk besk, b'ashi ve'vut  
One mines beskar, and-other gold  
_Ger:_ Der eine gräbt das Silber, der andre gräbt das Gold  
_Eng:_ The one mines silver, the other mines gold  
A ne'tra daryc dal'ika1-8 o'r haar ca  
But black brown girl in the night  
_Ger:_ doch dem schwarzbraunen Mägdelein, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ but the black-brown maiden in the night  
A ne'tra daryc dal'ika o'r haar ca  
But black brown girl in the night  
_Ger:_ doch dem schwarzbraunen Mägdelein, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ but the black-brown maiden in the night  
mhi guuro kaysh, mhi guuro kaysh.  
we like her, we like her  
_Ger:_ dem sein wir hold, dem sein wir hold.  
_Eng:_ we are fond of, we are fond of  


  


Ret'urcye mhi, ner cyar'ika  
May we meet again, my sweetheart  
_Ger:_ Ade, nun ade! Lieb Schätzelein!  
_Eng:_ Goodbye, now goodbye! Dear treasured one!  
Bal olar daab o'r dha ca o'r haar ca  
And here down in dark night, in the night  
_Ger:_ Und da drunten in dem tiefen finstern Schacht, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ And down there in the deep, dark mine, in the night  
Bal olar daab o'r dha ca o'r haar ca  
And here down in dark night, in the night  
_Ger:_ Und da drunten in dem tiefen finstern Schacht, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ And down there in the deep, dark mine, in the night  
ni partayli gar, ni partayli gar.  
I remember you, I remember you  
_Ger:_ da denk ich dein, da denk ich dein.  
_Eng:_ there I think of you, there I think of you  


  


Bal ni yaim'ol at cyar'ika  
And I return to sweetheart  
_Ger:_ Und kehr ich heim, zum Schätzelein,  
_Eng:_ And [if] I come home, to [my] treasured one  
Pro' cer'alor'b orjor kaab o'r haar ca  
then climber's shout sounds in the night  
_Ger:_ dann erschallet des Bergmanns Gruß, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ then sounds the miner's greeting, in the night  
Pro' cer'alor'b orjor kaab o'r haar ca  
then climber's shout sounds in the night  
_Ger:_ dann erschallet des Bergmanns Gruß, bei der Nacht  
_Eng:_ then sounds the miner's greeting, in the night  
Jat tenn, jat tenn!  
Good open, good open!  
_Ger:_ Glück auf, Glück auf!  
_Eng:_ Good luck, good luck!  


  


Te cer'ade cuy mandokarla  
The miners have the "right stuff"  
_Ger:_ Die Bergmanns Leut' sein's kreuzbrave Leut',  
_Eng:_ The miners' people are pious people  
Jorcu jori kute bat shebs1-9 o'r haar ca  
because [they] carry underwear on [the] butt  
_Ger:_ denn sie tragen das Leder vor dem Arsch, bei der Nacht,  
_Eng:_ because they wear the leather on the butt, in the night  
Jorcu jori kute bat shebs o'r haar ca  
because carry underwear on [the] butt  
_Ger:_ denn sie tragen das Leder vor dem Arsch, bei der Nacht,  
_Eng:_ because they wear the leather on the butt, in the night  
bal piru tihaar!  
and drink alcohol  
_Ger:_ und saufen Schnaps.  
_Eng:_ and drink schnaps.  


  


### Further Notes and Explanations

1-1 Generally, "Glück auf!" is translated as "good luck". It literally means "luck open", which is what _Jat tenn_ is styled after. It's a miner's greeting and is meant to wish good luck on going down into the mine and opening up a good new part of it. Or something along those lines. Usually, it would be "translate meaning, not words", but in this case, as I was partly trying to mimic the mining slang, it was translating the _origin_ and then shortening it to a conceivable expression. [back]

1-2  So, the original word here is "Steiger", which literally means "climber". This is a term used to denote a foreman who is responsible for a _part_ of the mine (and, of course, the people working in that part of it). Translating this _literally_ is simply not a good idea. In context, it doesn't really matter if it's the foreman of a part of the mine, the mine manager or someone else. I constructed the word _cer'alor_ by combining _cerar (mountain)_ and _alor (leader)_ , which indicates well enough that it is someone who is responsible for a mine without bothering with a hierarchy. Incidentally, the literal translation of _that_ (mountain leader/master) is an actual term for a higher position than a climber. [back]

1-3  The "bei der Nacht", which I rendered in "o'r haar ca" for the song, is a bit tricky to get into Mando'a. Logically, it does _not_ refer to actual night as time, but more the fact that it's _dark_ inside a mine. So it might have been more accurate to the implied meaning to use "in the mine". However, _that_ would make it lose some of the metaphorical aspects, so it was made into a mostly literal rendition of the German original. [back]

1-4  I created _dralshaar_ originally when I translated the national anthem of Germany, thus the translation given of "prosper". It is a combination of "dral" as "bright, strong, powerful" and "drashaar (to grow)". _Haa'tayl_ is derived from "haa'taylir (to see)". The thing is, there is/was no word for "shine" when I translated it, and it isn't always necessary to come up with a word when there's ways around. Here, I decided to think a bit around the corner of the situation: The climber has a light, he's getting closer, thus the light's getting brighter. Which, eventually, means that there's "more visibility" … and so we arrive at a slightly convoluted idea of "sight prospers" to indicate "yes, we now can see a bit more". [back]

1-5  The original uses a quite specific term, "einfahren", which I mostly know in combination with mines – or going to prison. Which seems to be vaguely related in how the latter is sometimes referred to as "Loch (hole)" and a mine is basically a hole going into the earth/mountain. The Mando'a is far less specific and simply indicates "going down", compounded to create a word for "descent". [back]

6  If the _cer'alor_ is the leader of the mine (or a foreman), then the people working inside the mine (mountain) are, of course, the _mountain people_. Or mountain-children. [back]

1-7  Mando'a has no canonical word for mining, so I had to make one up. It actually involved a bit more of a debate on how best to describe what mining _is_ , which included "digging holes" (but what is the word for _dig_?), collect ressources, etc. Eventually, it became the most basic "break (part) of the mountain": _cer'shukur_. It has to be noted, that a _mining disaster_ might logically be called a "cer'shu'shuk", so any mine is just a syllable away from disaster … [back]

1-8  This is a very literal translation of the German text and might not necessarily make the most sense in a Mandalorian context (when I have already replaced silver with beskar – because there's no actual _word_ for silver while there _is_ gold). This refers actually to _coal_ , which generally comes in two variations. This refers mostly to _black coal_ (known as "Steinkohle" in German) which is of a higher quality and may also be called "Black Gold". It makes a bit less sense in Mando'a, especially when considering the general avoidance of gender-specific mentions. [back]

1-9  This is a reference to a "butt-cover", which, well, protected the butt when sliding down into the mine, but mostly is a protection against wetness and cold when sitting. The translation in the text is a fairly literal one, and the first I came up with. I later made attempts to change it, especially since Mando'a _comes_ with a kind of butt-cover already in the dictionary: kama. So, the line I newly considered instead of the old one (but which I kept for the sole reason that songs often have variations) is this one:

Jorcu hukaat' shebs ti kama o'r haar ca  
because [they] cover [their] butt with kama in the night  
_Ger:_ denn sie tragen das Leder vor dem Arsch, bei der Nacht,  
_Eng:_ because they wear the leather on the butt, in the night

This is naturally a partial reference to the phrase "Hukaat'kama!" which is to "Watch my six!" and the quite _literal_ "Ni hukaatii'ni shebs ti kama!" (I'm covering my back!). [back]


	3. German'la Bes'laar

**German'la Bes'laar** is one of the first songs I ever translated into Mando'a (the first being **Ner Vod'ika** to the tune of Frère Jacques), and arguably the best among the first few attempts I made. It is the national anthem of Germany, which is easy enough in terms of text _and_ length. The title itself already bears reason for some notes, so the first explanations are for the usage of **german'la**2-1 and **bes'laar**2-2 .

Solus'an2-3 bal tor bal mav'an2-4   
Unity and justice and freedom  
_Ger:_ Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit  
_Eng:_ Unity and justice and freedom  
par german'la ori'yaim2-5!  
for German homeland  
_Ger:_ Für das deutsche Vaterland!  
_Eng:_ For the German fatherland!  
Copaanari ibic mhi an2-6  
wish-act this we all  
_Ger:_ Danach lasst uns alle streben  
_Eng:_ Towards these let us all strive  
vode ti kar'ta bal gaan!  
siblings with heart and hand  
_Ger:_ Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!  
_Eng:_ Brotherly with heart and hand!  
Solus'an bal tor bal mav'an  
Unity and justice and freedom  
_Ger:_ Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit  
_Eng:_ Unity and justice and freedom  
cuy jate'kara'ruusaar2-7!  
are luck-foundation  
_Ger:_ Sind des Glückes Unterpfand!  
_Eng:_ Are the safeguards of fortune!  
|: Dralshaa2-8 o'r dral jate'kara,  
|: prosper in bright luck  
_Ger:_ |: Blüh im Glanze dieses Glückes,  
_Eng:_ |: Flourish in the radiance of this fortune,  
dralshaa german'la ori'yaim! :|  
prosper German homeland :|  
_Ger:_ Blühe, deutsches Vaterland! :|  
_Eng:_ Flourish, German fatherland! :|

### Further Notes and Explanations

2-1 I've had quite a few discussions about the usage of endonyms versus exonyms when referring to languages and places. Generally, I would agree that an endonym should be preferred in usage, which would be transliterated into Mando'a using the available sounds as best as possible. So, going with that, the proper term would be »deutsch«, which might be rendered as _doych_ in Mando'a. Mando'a _has_ generally speaking the necessary sounds to transliterate _deutsch_ , but it certainly _does not look_ like Mando'a to me. Something about it seems _off_.  
There is also the fact that somehow, there's an abundance of terms for German, so if »deutsch« doesn't quite work, what could? Someone suggested going with "saks-" something (so, Saxon), which _also_ exists in German – even though _Sachsen_ live quite a specific region, as do _Schwaben_ or _Franken_ , and the latter is also ignoring the potential misunderstandings with the French in some form. I choose _German_ as the base because it _is_ well-known, describes everyone and has been around in some form since ancient Rome, so it isn't completely unreasonable for it to have become the default. It doesn't mean that other variants are wrong or that I'm going to use English naming conventions, it just is because it's the most convenient form (and, truthfully, coming from _Mando'a_ , Ger _man_ could be an actual splitter faction … we have evidence of the -d falling away in a name such as Darman, so it also fits into Mando'a context to have Germans rather than _doych'ade_. [back]

2-2  About the usage of »bes'laar«. _Bes'laar_ is the Mando'a word for _music_ , while _laar_ is _song_. So, I actually named this "German Music" instead of "German Song". Originally, my usage of bes'laar to mean _hymn_ or _anthem_ came from translating this – and an attempt at Ode to Joy. All those _could_ be translated as "laar", and there wouldn't be any reason not to. But specifically with the _national anthem_ I was a bit reluctant. Not because as an anthem it is _better_ but for the fact that the poem is the "Song of the Germans" and it has three stanzas, two of which are a bit controversial and are _not_ part of the national anthem. So, it seemed a bit ambiguous to call it _German'la Laar_. The later use in Bes'laar be Cer'alor is mostly because I started to misremember which meant what and I thought "bes'laar" sounded nicer. So, for me, I decided that "bes'laar" would also see use in song titles and be a more elaborate form of saying "song", or mean "hymn, anthem, ode". [back]

2-3  Naturally, Mando'a doesn't have words for everything, and the noun _unity_ is missing from the canonical sources (as far as I can tell). However, _solus_ means _united_. It also means _alone_ and _one_ which can make for quite some ambiguity, so instead of just using _sol_ or something to that effect, I stuck _an_ on it. There are a few indications of -an being a potential nounifier (s. cuyan), but I'm using _an (all)_ as it appears in _vode an_. So, while this _is_ made a noun, it is literally one-all, or united-all. [back]

2-4  This is the same structure as with solus'an, using the adjective "mav" and adding "an (all)", to denote the _concept_ of freedom. [back]

2-5  I originally struggled a bit with this, since while it is possible to translate the _word_ , replacing _father_ with _buir_ etc., it just didn't seem to fit quite with the language. Mando'a is supposed to be the language of a nomadic warrior people which has strong ties to adoption. So it seemed a bit weird to denote a specific "fatherland". I also considered using "nation" as the base, but while I feel that ori'yaim might be translated as fatherland or nation, the translation _homeland_ seems closer. It is a "bigger" version of a home, something I'd call "Heimat" in German. [back]

2-6  Frankly, this is a bit of a mess. For one, I couldn't quite figure out how one would do "Let us …" in Mando'a, and there was not a word for "strive" either. And when I came up with a way to phrase it, I ran into the problem that it wouldn't fit the verse. The syntax is all over the place on this line, but since it is essentially poetry, I decided that it could work. _Copaanari_ is a mixture of copaanir (to want) and nari (action), and is essentially meant to indicate "wishful action", "a desire to do". It originally was more vencopaanir, but I had to cut the _ven_ for syllables, so "copaanari ibic" could also be "may this come to pass". I actually don't quite remember my exact thoughts on "mhi an", but my guess is that it was used similarly to how "vode an" is used. [back]

2-7  This is _not_ meant to be a compound, but one form of a possessive, using the variant where the possessor is in front and the possession behind it, separated by a beten. It isn't really distinguishable from a single word, and it probably doesn't make much of a difference in meaning, but there's been some accusations that some new word creations in Mando'a tend to be "germanised", thus _very long_ words. This is more to point out that _not all is as it seems_. [back]

2-8  This is a contraction/compound made from "dral" and "drashaar" to mean "prosper, flourish" – literally maybe "grow brightly/strongly". [back]


	4. Te Laar be Roland

**Te Laar be Roland** is a translation of the song "[Chanson de Roland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL_XSdQmGp0)" by dArtagnan, which in turn is based on the Chanson de Roland from 11th century. It's an old French poem which depicts the heroic end of Roland. It was also fairly early known with a German translation and is known as _Rolandslied_ in German. The version by dArtagnan is, of course, much shorter than the original poem, and despite its French title it's sung in German.

'bic laar jorhaa'I beh verd  
this song speaks about warrior  
_Ger:_ Dies Lied erzählt von einem Mann  
_Eng:_ This song tells of a man  
meg slana o'r or'shu'shuk3-1  
who go in big-disaster  
_Ger:_ Der ausritt ins Verderben  
_Eng:_ who rode to ruin  
briikase kotep bal o'r gaan  
happy brave and in hand  
_Ger:_ Mit frohem Mut und in der Hand  
_Eng:_ with happy courage and in the hand  
|: kad be ciryc beskar :|  
|: sword of cold metal :|  
_Ger:_ |: ein Schwert aus kaltem Stahl :|  
_Eng:_ |: a sword made of cold steel :|

  


par'jor slana lo aru'ela vhet3-2  
thus go into hostile territory  
_Ger:_ So ritt er tief ins Feindesland  
_Eng:_ So he rode deep into enemy territory  
ti akaan'verde3-3  
with army  
_Ger:_ mit einem stolzen Heere  
_Eng:_ with a proud army  
laa'taakur3-4 kaab, »Olifant«3-5  
horn sounds, »Olifant«  
_Ger:_ Da tönt sein Horn »Olifant«  
_Eng:_ His horn sounds »Olifant«  
|: at spirba b' Roncesvalles :|  
|: at pass of Roncesvalles :|  
_Ger:_ |: am Pass von Roncesvalles :|  
_Eng:_ |: at the pass of Roncesvalles :|

  


|: Ohohoo, te laar be Roland  
|: Ohohoo, the song of Roland  
_Fr:_ |: Ohohoo, Chanson de Roland  
_Eng:_ |: Ohohoo, song of Roland  
Ohohoo, cuyi Roland'beslaar :|  
Ohohoo, is Roland's music :|  
_Ger:_ Ohohoo, das ist des Rolands Lied :|  
_Eng:_ Ohohoo, this is Roland's song :|

  


par'jor akaani at Roncesvalles  
thus [he] fights at Roncesvalles  
_Ger:_ So kämpfte er bei Roncesvalles  
_Eng:_ So he fought at Roncesvalles  
par t'ad ra ret ehn tuure  
for two or maybe three days  
_Ger:_ Für zwei, wenn nicht drei Tage  
_Eng:_ For two, if not three days  
kisol nau o'r werde  
few light in darkness  
_Ger:_ Kaum sah man einen Sonnenstrahl  
_Eng:_ Rarely one saw a ray of sunshine  
|: be tal'vhipir b'akaan3-6 :|  
|: of blood-mist of war :|  
_Ger:_ |: Im Dunst aus Schweiß und Blut :|  
_Eng:_ |: in the haze of sweat and blood

  


a Roland kaab laa'taakur  
but Roland sounds horn  
_Ger:_ Doch Roland blies sein mächtig' Horn  
_Eng:_ But Roland sounds his mighty horn  
par kotep rohak'an3-7  
for brave defeat-all  
_Ger:_ Zur stolzen Niederlage  
_Eng:_ to the proud defeat  
vhet'shuk jorcu dral a'den  
earthquake because strong rage  
_Ger:_ Die Erde bebt von wildem Zorn  
_Eng:_ The earth shakes with wild anger  
|: bal kaysh kyr' kote :|  
|: and his final glory :|  
_Ger:_ |: Und seinem Todesmut :|  
_Eng:_ |: and his death courage :|

|: Ohohoo, te laar be Roland  
|: Ohohoo, the song of Roland  
_Fr:_ |: Ohohoo, Chanson de Roland  
_Eng:_ |: Ohohoo, song of Roland  
Ohohoo, cuyi Roland'beslaar :|  
Ohohoo, is Roland's music :|  
_Ger:_ Ohohoo, das ist des Rolands Lied :|  
_Eng:_ Ohohoo, this is Roland's song :|

  


bana meg anade kar'tayl  
[it] happens what everybody knows  
_Ger:_ Ja so geschah, was jeder weiß  
_Eng:_ Yes, so happened what everyone knows  
bal Roland jii kyr'amu3-8  
and Roland now dies  
_Ger:_ Und Roland lag im Sterben  
_Eng:_ And Roland was dying  
be'chaaj o'r Bask'la Vhet3-9  
far-away in Basque Territory  
_Ger:_ Tief im Land der Basken weit  
_Eng:_ Deep in the land of the Basques far  
ogir, kad'la3-10 be cir' beskar  
there, wounded of cold metal  
_Ger:_ Da traf ihn kalter Stahl  
_Eng:_ There, cold steel hit him

  


tion mirdi beh riduur3-11  
[question] think about spouse  
_Ger:_ Dacht er an eine Maid  
_Eng:_ Did he think of a maiden  
o'r kyr'nara3-12 bat uvet  
in final-time on world  
_Ger:_ In seiner letzten Stund' auf Erden  
_Eng:_ in his last hour on earth  
at kyr be kaysh oya'cye3-13  
at end of his life  
_Ger:_ Am Ende seiner Lebenszeit  
_Eng:_ at the end of his lifetime  
at spirba b' Roncesvalles  
at pass of Roncesvalles  
_Ger:_ Am Pass von Roncesvalles  
_Eng:_ at the pass of Roncesvalles

  


|: Ohohoo, te laar be Roland  
|: Ohohoo, the song of Roland  
_Fr:_ |: Ohohoo, Chanson de Roland  
_Eng:_ |: Ohohoo, song of Roland  
Ohohoo, cuyi Roland'beslaar :|  
Ohohoo, is Roland's music :|  
_Ger:_ Ohohoo, das ist des Rolands Lied :|  
_Eng:_ Ohohoo, this is Roland's song :|  
|: Cuyi Roland'beslaar :|  
|: Is Roland's music :|  
_Ger:_ |: Das ist des Rolands Lied :|  
_Eng:_ |: This is Roland's song :|

lalalalalala ~

### Further Notes and Explanations

3-1 This is just a _bigger_ version of a disaster, which is a word in Mando'a I quite like, because it's somewhat funny: The Mando'a word for disaster is "shu'shuk", where shuk- means broken, fragmented, rift, teared etc. The words connected to it are generally something like that, so _shu'shuk_ is doubling on it. Like a double emphasis, and I somehow think it's amusing that the words for disaster is "broken-broken" or "crushed-crushed". It has a weird innocence in how it's doubled, but the meaning is rather serious. [back]

3-2  This is derived from some words in the dictionary – there is _vheh_ meaning "soil, earth, dirt", _vhett_ meaning "farmer" (so, Jango in German is called "Jango Bauer" … I don't know if there is a similar last name in English, but it wouldn't be really strange) and I created _vhet'am_ before to mean "farm". _Vhet_ to mean "land, territory, area" seems fairly plausible – it's a patch of dirt that would become a _vhetin_ (=field). It certainly is reasonable enough to be understood even without knowing the actual word. [back]

3-3  There is a word for "defeat" in Mando'a: _rohak_. It isn't necessary to invent the wheel anew, but, once again, this is supposed to be an _emphasis_ , kinda. Rohak'an has -an stuck onto rohak as a suffix, which I've used before to make "concepts". In this instance, the meaning remains _defeat_. It is just meant to indicate an _utter_ defeat, as in "everyone was defeated" (with no survivors). That isn't in the original song, but from the general knowledge of the Song of Roland, it's not just _him_ who dies. [back]

3-4  The proper, canonical term for an army is "akaan'ade". However, since there is no word for _proud_ , I decided to make a new compound by combining akaan'ade with verde – thus, where "akaan'ade" is literally "children of war", this became now "warrior of war" (which is a bit superfluous, but seemed better to denote that it does not indicate a simply drafted army that didn't want to be there – after all, this is a heroic song). [back]

3-5  Naturally, Mando'a is lacking in musical instruments, even if it is such a simple "term" as _horn_. While there were words created to indicate a horn of an animal, it was too cumbersome for a song to include that result. So it became reduced to the bare bones of the word, which resulted in combining _laar_ (=song) and _taakur_ (=bone) – making horn be a _song-bone_. [back]

3-6  This is fairly untranslatable for Mando'a as-is, even more when used in a song. »Olifant« is old French for »elephant«, but it makes little sense to just try and translate elephant and throw it into the song, because the background would be lost. As it stands, olifant is a name to denote a medieval signal horn made from ivory, which explains the name. It is also more or less the _name_ of Roland's horn, which plays a role in the tale, as Roland originally refuses to call for help – only sounding the horn when the battle is already lost (there's more to it, but for this, it should suffice). [back]

3-7  "Bal tal'vhipir b'akaan" is quite different from the original of the text. However, a literal translation would have been far too long for this verse to still remain singable, so it is more an attempt of translating the general meaning. _Tal'vhipir_ is not meant to be much of an actual word, even though it was made into a compound. It is more a "mist of blood", thus a possessive form. I cut out the sweat from this, since it was less important, and instead pointed out that it is caused by the fighting (which might seem obvious, but here is supposed to indicate an emphasis). [back]

3-8  In the dictionary, _kyr'amur_ is given as _to kill_ , even while its appearance in the proverb »Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur« doesn't _mean_ to kill, but _to die_. Considering _ash'amur_ , it is more sensible to consider it a mix-up and use _kyr'amur_ as _to die_. [back]

3-9  This, naturally, is meant to mean "Basque Country". Without going into _too_ much depth on how to transliterate the name, I went with the simplest variant of going with the sound of the most common term, which incidentally works quite well in Mando'a, and sticking an adjective suffix on it. Thus, Bask'la Vhet. [back]

3-10  Looking it up, _kad'la_ actually means _sharp_. However, this is not _kad'la_ , but _kadala_ with some poetic freedom. It might work just as well if one just swallowed the additional vowel while singing or if sung quickly, I guess. [back]

3-11  I used "riduur" in favour of trying to translate "maiden" (possibly dal'ika, even though that might also just mean girl). While _Roland_ certainly is a male name, in Mando'a, there is not much in gendered words, so a neutral one was perfectly viable for the language. Additionally, the implication is rather clearly meant to be in some sort of romantic way, so the easiest way to get that across is to use the word for "spouse". _Cyare_ might have worked as well, but _loved ones_ is family in general, at least to me. This is not to say there can't be variants using _cyare_ instead of _riduur_. It could be a quite common change, even. [back]

3-12  This is a smushed word, combining _kyr_ in its meaning of _final_ or _end_ and _ca'nara_ (= time). There is not a canonical word for hour, and while I quite enjoy the idea I've seen with a different time-measurement based on a four-unit-clock instead of a three-unit-clock (watch-hour-minute-second vs. hour-minute-second), there are no canonical words for any of that – and the four-unit-clock itself is a fanon construct (even though it was fun enough to build a converting formula for it). So, instead of using "final hour", it is more like "final moments" in general, only that _time_ is even less specific than _moment_. [back]

3-13  _Oya'cye_ is actually a canon word that _does not_ appear in the canon dictionary (based on the last release of an Excel spreadsheet). It appears in Star Wars Insider #86, and it means "life". Between mar'eyce and oya'cye, one might surmise that -'cye is a common noun marker. [back]


	5. Kaysh meg ni kar'tayli

Nothing _too_ exciting, just a small little poem I like and wanted to translate. The original is in German and written by Bertholt Brecht. I don't know the actual title (I found both a repetition of the first line as well as "to read in the morning and at night" (in German, obviously) as a possible title. I've stuck with the first line.

Kaysh meg ni kar'tayli4-1  
he/she that I know  
_Ger:_ Der, den ich liebe  
_Eng:_ The one whom I love  
ru'sirbu ni  
[pst]-tell me  
_Ger:_ hat mir gesagt  
_Eng:_ has told me  
kaysh liniba ni  
he/she needs me  
_Ger:_ dass er mich braucht  
_Eng:_ that he needs me

  


Jorcu  
Because  
_Ger:_ Darum  
_Eng:_ Therefore  
ni hukaati4-2 ni'st4-3  
I cover me-self  
_Ger:_ gebe ich auf mich acht  
_Eng:_ I take care of myself  
ja'haili ner yust bal  
watch over my way and  
_Ger:_ sehe auf meinen Weg und  
_Eng:_ look at my way and  
chaaba an orikih pitat4-4  
fear all tiny rain  
_Ger:_ fürchte von jedem Regentropfen  
_Eng:_ fear of every raindrop  
par ret ash'amur4-5 ni  
for maybe to.kill me  
_Ger:_ dass er mich erschlagen könnte  
_Eng:_ that he might slay me

### Further Notes and Explanations

4-1 The full phrase should be "kar'tayli darasuum", but for poetic license, I cut the phrase down to the verb only, because it should be implied by being a love poem (and context). [back]

4-2  Deviating from the original line, because this is _Mando'a_ … and I originally wanted to use ja'hailir, but I also didn't want to use it twice, so I changed it to "cover" instead of "take care". It leaves the care bit a bit out, but protection is also a valid thing. And it could be seen to contrast nicely with the fact that raindrops are considered as potential threats. [back]

4-3  There is no canonical word for "myself", only a word for "itself" (ast), so I literally stuck together "me-itself". I have seen similar combinations before, but wasn't even fully certain if _nerast_ was used in those. Grammatically, because there is no word for "self", my-itself is a bit strange, so I choose the non-possessive _ni_. [back]

4-4  We don't have a word for drop, so it became "tiny rain". And theoretically, it should be "anay" (every) instead of "an", but it doesn't make as much of a difference in meaning. The fact that it is every _drop_ of rain is a bit lost, but hopefully the allusion to every kind of small drizzle helps convey the sentiment well enough. [back]

4-5  As an entry in the canon dictionary, _ash'amur_ is "to die" and _kyr'amur_ is "to kill". Due to the only usage of _kyr'amur_ in an actual phrase being "to die", though, there is somewhat of a consensus that those words' meanings have been switched. It is further supported by the fact that the pronunciation given for "ash'amur" is the same as for "kyr'amur", so it looks like a later change was made to it. [back]


	6. Ner Beskad gan' ehn Kale

**Ner beskad gan' ehn kale** , the Mandalorian version of "Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken" (My Hat, it has three corners), which is a short tune with a very not-difficult text. It is _not_ a translation of the original text, but an adaption that _follows_ the original text.

Ner beskad gan' ehn kale5-1  
My beskar-saber has three blades  
_Ger:_ Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken  
_Eng:_ My hat, it has three corners  
ehn kale, ner kad gan'5-2  
three blades, my sword has  
_Ger:_ drei Ecken hat mein Hut  
_Eng:_ three corners has my hat  
bal meh nu'gan ehn kale  
and if not-have three blades  
_Ger:_ Und hätt' er nicht drei Ecken  
_Eng:_ And did it not have three corners  
bic ne'cuy ner beskad  
it not-is my beskar-saber  
_Ger:_ so wär' er nicht mein Hut  
_Eng:_ so it wouldn't be my hat

### Further Notes and Explanations

5-1 As said before, this is an adaption of the rhythm and rhyme of the original (without actual rhyming). Instead of using a _hat_ as topic, I used a three-bladed sword as the main topic. Three blades/edges on a sword would be unique enough to make it not senseless, but there has also been mention of a "three-sided knife" in the possession of Kal Skirata, so it is a _thing_ in SW. Even though _beskad_ as-is is mentioned to being a "slightly curved saber made from Mandalorian iron", it still makes enough sense. [back]

5-2  This appears to be like Yoda-speak because SV is a non-optional order in Mando'a, because the different cases can't be differentiated by the form of the nouns _or_ the verb. English still can be understood because of the difference between _has_ (sg.) and _have_ (pl.), but Mando'a doesn't give that kind of freedom. So, SV was necessary to not change the meaning of the sentence by changing the subject, but it results in an awkward construction in Mando'a.[back]


	7. Sol Jetii Kem lo Kurshise

**Sol jetii kem lo kurshise** is a slightly adapted translation of the German song "Ein Jäger längs dem Weiher ging" (a hunter walked along the pond), which is a funny little song about a hunter and … well. You'll see. It isn't very serious in nature, and no one gets hurt in the song.

Sol jetii kem lo kurshise6-1  
one Jedi walks into trees  
_Ger:_ Ein Jäger längs dem Weiher ging  
_Eng:_ A hunter walks along the pond  
_Viin, jetii, viin6-2  
run, Jedi, run  
_Ger:_ Lauf, Jäger, lauf   
_Eng:_ Run, hunter, run!_  
tuur shosenla o'r prudiise  
day [is] submerged in shadows  
_Ger:_ Die Dämmerung den Wald umfing   
_Eng:_ the twilight surrounded the forest  
  
_Viin jetii, viin jetii, viin, viin, viin  
run Jedi, run Jedi, run, run, run  
_Ger:_ Lauf Jäger, lauf Jäger, lauf, lauf, lauf   
_Eng:_ Run, hunter, run, hunter, run, run, run  
ner jate jetii, cyare jetii, viin, viin, viin  
my good Jedi, beloved Jedi, run, run, run  
_Ger:_ Mein lieber Jäger, guter Jäger, lauf, lauf lauf   
_Eng:_ My dear hunter, good hunter, run, run, run   
ner cyare jetii viin, ner cyare jetii viin  
my beloved Jedi run, my beloved Jedi run  
_Ger:_ Mein lieber Jäger lauf, mein lieber Jäger lauf   
_Eng:_ My dear hunter run, my dear hunter run _

  


Tion'meg shaadla o'r vheh'vorpan?6-3  
What moves in grass?  
_Ger:_ Was raschelt in dem Grase dort?   
_Eng:_ What rustles in the grass there?  
Tion'meg sirbu: be'chaaj, be'chaaj?  
[qst] What says: away, away?  
_Ger:_ Was flüstert leise fort und fort?   
_Eng:_ What whispers quietly away and away?

  


Wayii, ibic ori wer'uliik6-4   
wow, this [is] big legendary-beast  
_Ger:_ Was ist das für ein Untier doch?   
_Eng:_ What is this for a monster yet?  
Gan' susule sa munit cerar  
has ears like long mountain  
_Ger:_ Hat Ohren wie ein Blocksberg6-5 hoch!   
_Eng:_ Has ears like a 'block mountain' high!

  


Ibac wayi'runii6-6 ori'haat  
that [is] good-grief-soul, very-truth  
_Ger:_ Das muss fürwahr ein Kobold sein!   
_Eng:_ That must really be a goblin!  
Gan' surhaaise sa meshurok  
has eyes like gemstone  
_Ger:_ Hat Augen wie Karfunkelstein!   
_Eng:_ Has eyes like red gemstone!

  


Te jetii ulyc ja'haili  
the Jedi carefully observes  
_Ger:_ Der Jäger furchtsam um sich schaut   
_Eng:_ The hunter looks around fearfully  
Jii, ni jareo, ni chaab'yc  
Now, I act-suicidally, I [am] afraid]  
_Ger:_ Jetzt will ich's wagen, oh, mir graut!   
_Eng:_ Now I will dare it, oh, I'm terrified

  


O, jetii, diryci kad'au  
o Jedi, lowers lightsaber  
_Ger:_ Oh Jäger, lass die Büchse ruh'n!   
_Eng:_ Oh hunter, let the rifle rest!  
Ret, wer'uliik jurkadi gar  
maybe, legendary-beast attacks you  
_Ger:_ Das Tier könnt' dir ein Leides tun!   
_Eng:_ The animal could hurt you

  


Jetii iviinyc ba'slana  
Jedi quickly leaves  
_Ger:_ Der Jäger lief zum Wald hinaus   
_Eng:_ The hunter ran out of the forest   
haaranovo o'r jetii'yaim  
hides in Jedi Temple  
_Ger:_ Verkroch sich flink im Jägerhaus   
_Eng:_ quickly crawled into the hunter's lodge

  


Mun'sul'ika6-7 viin o'r kar'nau  
little rabbit runs in starlight  
_Ger:_ Das Häschen spielt im Mondenschein   
_Eng:_ The bunny plays in the moonlight  
Sur'haaise yaihi'l shereshoy  
Eyes full [of] lust-for-life  
_Ger:_ Ihm leuchten froh die Äugelein   
_Eng:_ his eyes light up joyfully

### Further Notes and Explanations

6-1 There is a canonical word for forest (kurs), but due to the rhyme and meter of the line (and because I actually mixed them up), it became "trees" (kurshi-se) instead. And only afterwards, when translating it back to English, I realised that it _might_ have the implication that the Jedi in question actually walks _into the trees_ … instead of "into the woods", as was the original intention. Well … unexpectedly funny. It is also noteworthy that the Jedi actually walks into the forest, where the hunter in the original only walks along a body of water (even though he later is implied to be inside a forest). [back]

6-2  This is originally a command, so the imperative is needed, which in Mando'a would be "ke'viini" (informal). However, that has far too many syllables for the short repetition, as well as for the later refrain, so I cut it down to the most essential part of "viin", which is the colloquial conjugated verb form (the one where people are too lazy to pronounce the final vowel), and the meaning remains clear enough. It could be translated as "[he] runs, [the] Jedi runs" instead of "run, Jedi, run!", but the context should clear that up enough. [back]

6-3  This is a word for "grass, lawn" from Tal'jair's collection (I do not know the exact original source, sadly) and is constructed by combining "vheh" (earth, dirt) and "vorpan" (green). I think this might get shortened in normal speech to something like "vheh'vor" or "vhe'vor", and I was about to shorten it to just that when trying to translate the line, until I found that the syllables fit – and I really didn't need to translate the word _there_ to give the line its overall meaning. If it's the grass over there or the grass in general is insignificant for the song, so I simply used the whole word instead of fiddling with the line to add _ogir _(there) somehow. I also didn't try to make a word for "rustle", since while it has a specific connotation, again the meaning of the line was not really touched. [back]__

____

____

6-4  This word was derived during a discussion on Discord where a word was searched for "mythosaur". _Wer'uliik_ was one approach based on the fact that _wer_ by itself means "eon" (and thus indicates also something that live a long time ago) as well as its compound form of _werlaara_ means "myth". It also has an additional boon as being labelled as 'archaic', which fits even better with a word for an archaic creature. The usage of _uliik_ can be debated, since it originally is a "mount, pack animal" in the dictionary, but it is often used in new word creations as a substitute for "animal", or even "beast". It can be seen as an acceptable usage if one makes the jump from "bes'uliik". Using "mount" as the defining part, it might even indicate that mythosaurs could have been used as such. [back]

6-5  This is a combination of _Wayii!_ , which is an exclamation of surprise, both good and bad, and can be used in other contexts as well. One translation given is "Good grief!", which I have used for the literal translation in lieu of a better shorthand for the meaning. The second part of the word is _runi_ , which is a _poetic_ word for "soul". I have used it to mean more something like a spirit, though, based on the fact that the word I sought to translate is "Kobold" (which is often translated as goblin, but in the underlying meaning might better be translated as something like a leprechaun) – of course, there are many different types, but they can be both "good" and "bad", so I was quite happy with the idea of using "wayii". Something that has to be noted, though, is that the pronunciation isn't entirely clear – from the pronunciation guide in the dictionary, "way'runii" should have three syllables, but in my head, it's more a three-and-maybe-a-half-syllable-word, with _way[ii]_ being theoretically two syllables, but handled more as being one, if that makes sense. [back]

6-6  This has actually a more deeply layered meaning than what is the literal translation and can't really be translated into Mando'a. The word "Blocksberg" is, in German, mostly another name for the Brocken, the highest mountain in the region Harz, which is known for its connection to witches. Blocksberg can also mean other mountains associated with witches, which in this song indicates not only the height/length of the ears (in comparison), but also evokes a certain supernatural mood. This, of course, is impossible to mirror in Mando'a, so that it becomes a bit _flat_ in translation. [back]

6-7  Originally, this was borne mostly as an act of "desperation". I was, at first, hesitant, because I had used _munit_ already with the previous line of the mountain, especially in the same context (long ears), while the original went with height. However, it seemed to be a rather obvious choice and thus _Mun'sul'ika_ ('lil long-ear) to mean "little rabbit" or "bunny".[back]


End file.
